Goodbye, 9-to-5 - Hello, Flex Work Schedules!

Sometime in the future, people will be horrified by the mere thought of a 9-to-5 work schedule. Future people will sit pondering in their flying cars – hey, I’m hopeful – and dread at the thought that, once upon a time, everyone was forced to wake up at the same time, go to work at the same time, and leave work at the same time. They’ll wonder whether we were programmed to do that or if we did it voluntarily.

More and more people are beginning to appreciate flexible work schedules as they allow for time to effectively manage both their work and their lives. Jobs that offer flexible work hours are more in demand these days as people begin to realize that working flexible hours is much more effective than the traditional 9-to-5.

Freelancers Are on the Rise

The truth is that freelancers are more eligible to flexible work schedules because they are their own boss. With no one to set their work hours, they can fit work into their lives more effectively which, in turn, makes them more motivated and productive. This is why freelancers are on the rise. As a matter of fact, a whopping 34% of the US workforce is freelancers, which equates to 53 million people, while reports say that the demand for freelancers has significantly increased in 2015.

Occasional Telecommuting Is Becoming the Norm

But it’s not just the freelancers who have said their farewells to the 9-to-5. A lot of companies have begun appreciating the wonder of telecommuting, too. With the Internet making our lives that much easier, a lot of people report that they are now able to occasionally telecommute.

An impressive 50% of employees say that they are more productive when working at home rather than at the office. Meanwhile, only 14% of the people surveyed said that they would rather do important work tasks at work – but only if they get to complete those tasks outside their normal working hours.

Jobs with Flexible Work Schedules Are in Demand

While most employees admit that the 9-to-5 work schedule is no longer effective, employers don’t seem to be recognizing this shift in the workforce. In the UK, there are less than one in 10 decent paying jobs that offer flexibility in the work schedule. What’s striking about this is that there is an estimated 14 billion British people who’d like to have a flexible work schedule. So, are employers failing to listen to their employees’ needs or are they simply uninterested in hearing them out?

With millennials now being the largest generation in the workforce, employers should realize that their failure to comply with the needs of the changing workforce costs them dearly. Talented and skilled individuals would much rather strike out on their own than be employed in a corporation that is not interested in what makes an employee productive.

Without a doubt, employers will soon want to be in sync with what employees want as they’ll eventually recognize the risk for their business. It’s important for any company to hire and keep talented and skilled professionals, and this is why we are certain that employers will come to see that the 9-to-5 work schedule is simply not effective.

What about you? Do you work the traditional 9-to-5or is your work schedule a little more flexible? Share your experiences with us in the comment section below!